Arizona Online Sports Betting

Arizona is still strictly an anti-online betting state until the State’s Legislators catch up with the winds-of-change. As many of you are aware, other states in the U.S. allow for online horse betting and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). Other more progressive states like New Jersey, even allow for online casinos and online poker gaming options. However, Arizona appears to be determined to keep intact its insistence that all gaming is restricted to its tribal casinos and a couple of horse racing tracks. Online Horse Racing Betting was re-introduced to Arizona in 2015.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and a Navajo Nation attorney have both recently expressed a desire to expand the state’s gaming options. Tribal Casinos appear to be leading the way when it comes to opening up the sports betting industry in Arizona, both land-based and online.

The State Legislators appear to have come onboard with the Tribes and have recently introduced a pair of sports betting bills that once passed (or legalization legislation just like them), could potentially allow sports wagering to help ease the state budget’s financial woes (see below).

Arizona has long-established and successful (however, quite separate) gambling and sports industries. On the sporting side of the equation, Arizona is home to NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL franchises. For gambling, Arizona has a network of Tribal Casinos, a lottery, horse-racing tracks and a chain of Off-Track Betting (OTB’s) locations.

Given the strength of the sports industries in the state, you might believe that Arizona may have highly evolved sports betting laws. However, sports betting online and land-based sports gambling laws are practically non-existent in Arizona. Even DFS has been deemed illegal in Arizona and the Tribes have not allowed DFS legislation to advance.

Appeasing the Tribes is critical to the existence of any potential and forthcoming sports betting legislation in Arizona, and the proximity to Nevada (the capital of legal sports betting in the USA) are both hurdles for proponents of sports betting in Arizona to overcome.

Tribal casinos are obviously positioning themselves for exclusivity to Arizona sports betting, which may also limit or potentially delay the expansion of mobile and online sports betting in the state.

Sports Betting Online is currently unavailable in Arizona, and even DFS is outlawed in the Grand Canyon State.

Horse Racing Betting online was illegal for many years, however, was re-legalized in Arizona in 2015.

Finally, two sports betting bills currently under the consideration of Arizona state legislators are the House Bill HB 2813 and the Senate’s SB 1525. Debate on the two bills ceased when the State’s legislative season concluded in March 2020. However, look for the two bills or alternative legislation just like them to be on the legislative slate in the near future in Arizona. The state is facing large budget deficits and legal sports betting could help with that problem when discussed again soon.

As per many other states, online sports betting will most likely be introduced with the state’s land-based casinos (and specifically for Arizona, that is most likely to occur in the states tribal casinos) before sports gambling online in Arizona becomes a reality.

Unlike the Federal Law which determines DFS competitions games of skill and not gambling, at the Arizona State Level, DFS participation is considered a form of gambling, which the state bans. The only legal gambling in the state is limited to tribal casinos, horse-and-dog racing, and the Arizona state lottery.

In February 2016, Arizona attempted to exclude DFS from the gambling law, which would allow residents access to use DFS sites. Senate Bill 1515 was introduced, with the goal of eliminating DFS from Arizona’s definition of gambling. However, the bill didn’t last long, quickly dying in the Senate. Arizona isn’t alone in being the only state that bans DFS. Iowa, Montana, Washington and Louisiana all have laws considering DFS to be a form of illegal gambling.

There is a so-called “poison pill” provision in the Arizona Tribal Gaming Compacts that ensures that a change in the DFS law is not likely. A provision in the compacts is often referred to as ‘the poison pill’ provision, prohibiting any gaming types not listed in the compact.

As a result, none of the major DFS sites are legalized to operate or to hold real-money-contests in the state of Arizona, for its residents, nor even visitors to the state.

As with all other forms of online sports betting (excluding horse racing), eSports betting is still unavailable in Arizona. Once sports betting is eventually introduced to Arizona (in the state’s Tribal Casinos in the first instance?), eSports betting is anticipated to be popular with the Grand Canyon State’s bettors.

For readers who may be unaware, ‘eSports’ is short for ‘electronic sports’ (in other words, video game play at the highest level possible). eSports are most often played in a team format (rather than individually) in leagues and tournaments internationally. Leading video game development companies have launched their own pro leagues, and as live streaming technology has improved dramatically, it has transformed eSports competitions into global betting events.

High-profile electronic games such as Fortnite, Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, CS:GO, and Call of Duty all have their own leagues and sold-out stadium tournaments and competitions.

In developed sports betting markets such as Canada, Britain, France and Australia, or even Nevada or New Jersey, sportsbooks now offer a range of betting markets across all major eSports tournaments.

When sports betting is legalized in Arizona, watch for eSports betting to be offered at your favorite sportsbook in the state.

Horse Racing Betting is 100% legal (both on course/track side and online) for all residents of, and visitors to the state of Arizona. Federal laws provide for each state to rule on the legality of horse racing betting. As a result, many states permit their residents and visitors to bet on horse races both Track side, Off Track Betting and online. Since the re-legalization in Arizona in 2015, most of the largest horse betting websites across the United States have a presence in the state.

Arizona currently has 5 live horse racing and 2 greyhound racing track facilities.

Off track betting and simulcast racing are offered at Arizona’s extensive network of more than 30 OTB locations across the state. Betting on races in Arizona, across the United States and most major racing locations worldwide are all available in Arizona’s OTB’s.

Since the 2015 re-legalization in Arizona, major U.S. online horse racing betting sites all accept customers from the state. and offer real money bets on horses and greyhounds for Arizona residents and visitors to the state.